


a ball to remember

by nebulousviolet



Category: Harry Potter - J.K Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe, Gryffindor!Scorpius, Multi, Slytherin!Rose, completely ignoring anything post epilogue is my kink, does it even count if the cursed child was shit tho, gryffindor!albus
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-19
Updated: 2018-11-19
Packaged: 2019-08-25 22:02:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,464
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16669153
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nebulousviolet/pseuds/nebulousviolet
Summary: “Oh dear,” says Scorpius. “I think we’ve just gotten embroiled in some sort of love triangle, except the third member is her own pride.”From across the Hall, Imogen yells, “I heard that!”(Or: James Potter tries to ask his brother’s Slytherin friend to the Yule Ball. It doesn’t go as straightforward as planned.)





	a ball to remember

**Author's Note:**

> this ignores cursed child and treats the epilogue as canon, which implies that james is only one year older than albus. however i did sort due to behaviour displayed in cursed child, meaning in this au rose is in slytherin and albus n scorp are gryffindors.  
> btw in this fic cassian nott is the son of pansy and theodore if u were wondering lol  
> also before you come for me for writing scorbus when they’re fifteen, I’M FIFTEEN, so like have some common sense lol

“Your friend,” James begins the conversation at the dinner table, setting down his knife and fork to breathe for once in between inhaling mouthfuls of chicken curry. “Imogen. I think she’s pretty.”

Albus chokes. Imogen Rivers is a fourth-year, like Albus; unlike Albus, she’s a Muggleborn Slytherin. She’d befriended Albus and Scorpius during the Sorting with her various silvery rings and laughing green eyes, and has proven to be a somewhat sensible figure in between Albus and Scorpius’s various family traumas and meltdowns.

Now James thinks she’s pretty, and Albus should know this already, because James has tried to ask her out to Hogsmeade multiple times. But Imogen has made it clear that she isn’t interested in James. “Can’t you get a girl in your own year?” she’d say, before tossing her bleached-blonde hair and dragging Albus and Scorpius off to the Black Lake so they could study for Potions, the only class they had together. And James would laugh it off, saying that he only did it to wind her up, but maybe he’s being serious for once.

“Imogen?” Lily wrinkles her nose. She’s been pushing rice around her plate for the last five minutes, and appears immensely grateful to have an excuse not to eat it. “She’s in _Slytherin._ ”

“Rose is in Slytherin,” their dad says, ever the peacemaker. “Be nice.”

“Yeah, well, Rosie’s different,” Lily huffs. “Imogen’s a _Muggleborn_. She must be really evil to be in Slytherin and have Muggle parents.”

Evil isn’t the word Albus would use, but Imogen _is_ determined, and ambitious, and willing to bend the rules if it serves her own purposes. Just like James, he supposes, except Imogen is also chillingly ruthless when she wants to be, which is possibly why she relies on Scorpius and Albus (but mostly Scorpius) to be her moral compass.

“She’s _kind of_ pretty,” Albus shrugs. He prefers the word _striking,_ because Imogen isn’t classically beautiful - her face is instead haunting, sharp jawline and thin nose making her jewel-toned eyes seem even bigger. Unnerving, more than _pretty_. Scorpius sometimes jokes that her birdlike-face haunts his dreams, until she bat-bogeys him, of course. “I thought you didn’t like her, though.”

Their mother glances between them, taking a noticeable gulp of water. James stabs a large piece of chicken violently.

“Yeah, well,” he says gruffly. “I’ve changed my mind.”

“She’s a year younger than you!” Lily points out, sounding very betrayed. “ _And_ a Slytherin! Jamie!”

“Careful, Lily,” their mum says with a grin. “I’m a year younger than Dad, remember?”

Lily still appears deeply disturbed by this, however, and crosses her arms. “You have O.W.Ls, anyway,” she says. “You can’t go chasing after Isabel, or whatever her name is.”

“Imogen,” both Albus and James correct at the same time, and James actually _blushes,_ before adding, “Besides, I don’t think I’m gonna fail my exams just ‘cos I fancy someone.”

Lily remains unimpressed, and turns back to Dad. “I’m full,” she tells him, gesturing to her still-loaded plate. “Can I be excused?”

Thankfully, their father seems to sense to storm on the horizon, and simply nods. Lily places her plate on the countertop and storms upstairs, making sure to slam her bedroom door. There’s a brief silence.

“You better not tell her,” James threatens. “Imogen, I mean.”

“I think she already knows,” Albus says carefully around a mouthful of naan bread. “But alright.”

“You should take her to the Yule Ball,” Dad suggests. “And ask her quickly. When Uncle Ron and I were your age, we ended up with twins, Parvati and Padma, because we put off asking anyone. It was horrendous.”

“Mostly because _you_ were too busy moping over Cho Chang the whole time,” Mum says evenly, making it clear that there’s no room for argument. “Poor Parvati. Finished, boys?”

Both of them dump their plates in the sink while their parents appear to have a silent conversation through eye contact alone. Finally, their mother starts, “James. Be careful. I know what first love is like.”

“Can we not?” Albus groans. “Imogen’s my friend. This is weird.”

“Then leave, if it’s so weird,” James shoots back, which, duh, it is, so Albus does.

 

*

 

First day back at Hogwarts after the Christmas break and Imogen is already shoving first-years off the Gryffindor table so she can squeeze in between Albus and Scorpius - quelle surprise. James keeps glancing rather conspicuously at her, and Albus takes it upon himself to move his head so his brother’s line of sight is deliberately blocked.

“Then Maya went completely apeshit, calling me a weirdo and stuff, so then I may or may not have filled her bedroom with balloons and - hey, Albie boy, are you listening?” Imogen waves a hand in front of Albus’s face, interrupting her own story about her older (Muggle) sister, Maya. Albus breaks the weird staring contest he’s currently having with his brother and blinks.

“Yeah, yeah, you filled her room with balloons, I’m listening,” he nods. “Carry on.”

Scorpius squints at him. “You have your feuding with James face on,” he announces. “Spill.”

“Oh my gosh, yes!” Imogen grins, balloons forgotten. “I love the Potter-Weasley family drama. There’s so _much_ of it. Where were we last time, again? Teddy and Victoire trying to elope?”

Albus winces, and lowers his voice. “Be quiet, but James has a crush on Imogen,” he whispers, and Imogen sprays pumpkin juice all over the table.

“What,” she says flatly. “ _What?_ James? As in-“ she coughs loudly, and lowers her own voice to match Albus’s. “ _Your brother James_?”

“He likes our Imogen? We been knew,” Scorpius snorts, thumping Imogen on the back, who has gone completely unresponsive. “What is it with Potter boys and blondes?”

“Huh?” asks Imogen, unaware of the fact that Scorpius and Albus have been sort of hooking up for the past month and a half. It’s a long story, one Albus isn’t in the mood to go through at this precise minute. “I don’t get it.”

“Inside joke,” lies Albus with a smoothness that’s out of character, and Scorpius snorts again. “But don’t you dare say anything to him, Imy, because I promised not to tell you.”

James cranes his head to get a better look at them, and Imogen turns beet red. Scorpius coughs loudly to cover his giggle. “You should be flattered,” he tries to say solemnly. “A hottie fifth-year Gryffindor like James Potter interested in the humble Imogen Rivers. I’d be- _ow, Imy!_ ”

Imogen has her wand pressed up firmly against Scorpius’s side, and only relents when a few nosy third-years begin to stare at them.

“Shut up, Scorpius,” she says hotly. “I don’t owe him anything. You know what, I’m going to eat at my own table, because I really don’t want to get into this right now. Cassian!”

She charges off to sit with Cassian Nott, a Slytherin boy in their year with olive-brown skin and a notable Roman nose, and James continues to look at her like a lost puppy.

“Oh dear,” says Scorpius. “I think we’ve just gotten embroiled in some sort of love triangle, except the third member is her own pride.”

From across the Hall, Imogen yells, “I heard that!”

 

*

 

Two weeks later, they’re sitting by the shores of the Black Lake, firmly bundled up in Gryffindor paraphernalia (Imogen, despite being in Slytherin, always steals Albus and Scorpius’s hats and scarves). Albus is doodling in the margin of his parchment as Imogen tests them on various plants and brewing techniques. In all honesty, he stopped paying attention about fifteen minutes ago, but Imogen is anything if not keen to get her own way.

“Uses of lacewing flies,” she says. “Go.”

Neither of them answer. It’s cold, and everyone’s tired, and Albus can’t believe he let her talk them into going outside. Imogen sighs, and he assumes that it’s because they’re ignoring her, but then he looks up and sees his older brother walking towards them with his posse of idiotic little friends.

“Oi, Imogen!” he hollers as they draw near enough to be in earshot. “I wanna ask you something. Got a minute?”

“You just asked me something,” Imogen replies primly, shoving her textbook in her satchel. “And we were just about to leave. Weren’t we, Scorp, Albus?”

“Hm? Yeah,” says Scorpius, who’d been staring into the Lake in a stupor. Albus is vaguely worried about the possibility of him catching hypothermia. “What she just said.”

“It’ll only take a second,” James pleads.

“I thought you said it’d be a minute,” Albus deadpans. His brother ignores him, as usual.

“Then say it,” Imogen mutters, not looking at James or his friends, who are mostly just standing behind him in what they must assume is an imposing manner. He inhales sharply and says,

“Will you come to the Yule Ball with me?”

 

A beat of silence.

 

“No,” replies Imogen. “And before you get into a tizzy about it, I’m not going, full stop. It’s expensive to go here, you know, with all the books and things, and my mum won’t pay for dress robes and admittance to a stupid dance. Says it’s not fair on my sister since she goes to a state comprehensive and never gets anything. Because, you know, not all of us are rich and famous.”

James’s face falls. “Alright, then,” he says. “See you around.”

He saunters off, and Imogen bites her lip so hard Albus thinks it might split in two.

“Are you really not going, Imy?” Scorpius asks. “If money’s really a problem, my dad’ll pay for you. He’s just grateful I’m friends with at least one Slytherin.”

Imogen swallows, and Albus realises she’s trying not to look at James’s retreating figure.

“It’s fine,” she grinds out. “Can we change the subject?”

 

*

 

The dorm room is empty, so Scorpius and Albus are snogging. It took them a couple of weeks to figure out how, considering Scorpius currently has a good six inches on him (Albus is yet to hit his growth spurt, rendering him the shortest of their little trio), but they're pretty good now, if he says so himself. Scorpius’s mouth is always cold, which is odd, but Albus doesn’t really mind. He’s just pushing him down onto the bed for better leverage when-

“Al!”

It’s Imogen. They spring apart as quickly as possible, both of them wiping their mouths as if it’ll erase the guilt from their faces. She’s dragging Cassian and Rose with her by their necks, both appearing deeply uncomfortable by their presence, and her eyes are rimmed red.

“I’ve decided to call a team meeting,” Imogen announces.

“In _our_ dorm room?” Scorpius says. She ignores him, which doesn’t really surprise anyone.

”I didn’t even know we were a team,” Albus mutters.

“I’ve come to the conclusion I may or may not like James Potter,” she continues, which elicits a loud groan from Rose, who has clearly had to hear this before and approves of it no more than the first time. “So. How do I get over him?”

“Kill him,” Cassian suggests slickly, examining his nails. Somehow he appears haughty and condescending even in an old The Weird Sisters shirt and what looks suspiciously like a pair of booty shorts. Cassian’s good at that. “You _are_ a Slytherin after all.”

“I second that idea,” Rose adds. “James is my cousin. He’s a prick. You’ll be doing all Potters and Weasleys a favour.”

“I third that idea,” says Albus. “He takes forever in the bloody shower. Reckon he’s trying to rebuild Atlantis in there.”

“Do none of you believe in love?” asks Scorpius, with a surprising amount of uncharacteristic dramatic flair.

“No,” says Cassian immediately, which doesn’t surprise Albus in the slightest.

“Sad,” Scorpius shakes his head. “Imy, who even says you have to get over him? He asked you to the Yule Ball! He likes you!”

Imogen shrugs. “I don’t like cocky people,” she says.

“You like Cass,” Rose points out. Cassian elbows her. “Oh, sorry, _Cassian._ ”

“Cassian’s a mate, though,” Imogen says. “Like, I don’t really care if he’s a dick, ‘cos he’s Cassian Nott. I’d be a bit worried if he wasn’t one, if I’m honest.”

“Thanks for that, Imogen,” Cassian says mildly. “I’ll remember this when you copy off me in Charms next time.”

“I don’t copy off you in Charms. You _wish_ I did, because you want the clout of knowing Imogen Rivers deems your work viewable. Anyway, as I was saying, it’s alright ‘cos Cassian’s my mate, but James isn’t. I just feel like it’d get weird,” Imogen admits. “So, what should I do?”

“I still think killing him’s up there on your list of options,” Rose reiterates. “Just saying.”

“I changed my mind. Ask _him_ out,” Cassian says. “Then you have the power.”

“That is _such_ a Slytherin thing to say,” Albus says, and Cassian clutches his chest with mock pride.

“That’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me, Potter, cheers.”

They all bicker a little more, until dawn begins to break and they all eventually go back to their respective dorms. Albus says, “I hate straight people.”

Scorpius snorts. “Yeah, well, to be fair, Cassian’s not straight. Still a cunt though, isn’t he?”

 

*

 

“Did you ask that Imogen girl out?” Mum asks as they walk out of King’s Cross to the car. Lily is jabbering away to their dad about Quidditch, which means James and Albus are both vulnerable to their mother’s intent questioning. James shrugs.

“Yeah, but she’s not going to the Ball,” he says. “Can’t afford it, apparently.”

“She _is_ ,” Albus pipes up, as planned. James is _so_ predictable, it’s not even funny.  “Cassian’s taking her.”

James’s head shoots up. “Cassian? As in...Cassian Nott?”

“Uh-huh,” Albus nods, as if there’s another Cassian that they know of. “He’s paying for her. Guess you missed your chance, then.”

“Good,” says Lily, apparently done discussing the semantics of Quaffle physics, even though she hasn’t a clue about physics full stop. “She’s not even that pretty, really.”

James’s mouth falls open, and he’s silent for the rest of the drive home.

 

*

 

“Did it work?” Imogen asks over the phone. Her voice is unusually frantic. “Did you throw him off?”

“Completely,” Albus confirms, being careful to keep his voice down. James is busy mourning in the next bedroom, and he doesn’t want his brother catching on just yet. “I think he’s crying, actually. It’s hard to tell, because I’ve never actually seen him cry before, you see.”

“Don’t guilt trip me, Potter,” Imogen says, and she sounds genuinely anxious, so Albus drops it. “I phoned Cassian, by the way, which was difficult considering his parents don’t know how a Muggle phone works. I spent ten minutes telling Mrs Nott that she didn’t need to shout. Anyway, I phoned him, and he says that if it fails, _you_ have to take me, because he already has a date.”

“Don’t tell me,” Albus groans. “Felix Daniels.”

“Huh. You worked that out quick.”

“Scorp told me,” Albus massages his temples. “He told me a bunch of other things too. Did you know Cassian once kissed him on a dare? I didn’t. Did you also know that he tends to sleep naked? _I didn’t!_ ”

Imogen snorts. “But like I was saying, this better work, because it’s gonna be dead embarrassing going to the Yule Ball with a boy shorter than me.”

“I’ve grown,” Albus says, which is a total lie.

“No, you haven’t,” Imogen disputes immediately. There’s a pause as someone shouts in the background, and she sighs. “Ugh. I’ve got to go; Maya wants me to help pick what she should get her boyfriend for his birthday. As if _I_ know what Alex down the road does in his spare time. Apart from, you know, my sister. Keep me updated or I’ll personally disembowel you when we get back to school. Love you, bye!”

She hangs up just as Lily walks in, thank Merlin and Morgana.

“Who was that?” she asks suspiciously, narrowing her brown eyes at him. “Was it _Imogen_?”

“No,” he evades. “It was a friend, so mind your own business.”

“Which friend?” Lily presses, having none of it. “Have I heard of them?”

“Um,” Albus stutters. He says the first name that comes to mind. “Maya. You won’t know her. She’s in Hufflepuff.”

“Oh,” Lily says, now disinterested. “Well, Mum wants you to go downstairs and _have a talk_ with her. What did you do this time?”

“Nothing, ginger,” Albus says, standing up. “Not that it’s any of your beeswax.”

“I am not ginger!” Lily argues. “My hair is red! R-E-D!”

It is enough to get her off his case about James and Imogen, though, so he endures his sister’s bickering until he’s in the kitchen and she’s shooed out by their mother. Mum rounds on him with an unusually serious expression, and says, “Albus, are you jealous of James?”

Albus blinks twice. “Excuse me?”

“Do you-do you like Imogen? The girl he fancies?” she continues, clearly uncomfortable. Albus thinks maybe she drew the short straw to have this conversation. “Because I think-“

“Oh Merlin,” Albus groans. “I don’t fancy Imogen, Mum.”

“Are you sure, love?” his mother asks, struggling to seem at ease. “It’s alright if you do. I’ve met her, and she’s a very charming girl - good-looking, too-“

“Mum, it is impossible for me to fancy Imogen,” Albus cuts her off. “Mostly because - and I cannot believe I’m saying this on Easter Sunday _,_ ‘cos James can’t pull himself together - I’m gay.”

She sighs in relief. “Oh. Oh! I mean, I love you, darling, and I’ll always accept you, but thank Merlin. I wasn’t ready to split up a sibling love triangle.”

“Mmhmm,” Albus nods, aware he’s probably fire engine levels of red right now. “Well. I’m, uh, going to go back upstairs now. Please don’t tell Dad. Or James. Or basically anyone. I’m literally only telling you because I’m really not in the mood to fight James for Imogen’s honour, which, might I add, is non-existent.”

Mum just nods back. “Let’s just pretend this conversation didn’t happen,” she says empathetically, and Albus runs back upstairs before either of them can embarrass themselves any further.

 

*

 

“Had a real fun talk with my mum in the holidays,” Albus winces in recollection. Scorpius’s head is in his lap, and Imogen is sitting cross-legged in an armchair opposite them. “Turns out she thought me and James were gonna come to blows over you, Imy. Ended up coming out to her just to assure her that I wasn’t secretly banging you. Possibly the worst day of my life, and I’m related to James.”

“Huh,” says Imogen, turning the page of her book. She is completely nonplussed by this. “You’re welcome.”

“Piss off,” he says. “This plan of yours better work. Do you know what a moping James is like? A lot worse than a regular James, that’s for sure, and regular James is intolerable as it is.”

“Wow, the more you know,” Scorpius yawns. “Oi, Imy, your hair looks nice. Very silvery.”

She’s redyed it an even lighter blonde so that she looks almost seraphic in the Gryffindor firelight. Imogen always comes to their common room, since the Slytherin one is ‘too cold’, but maybe she also knows the lighting here suits her better. She grins.

“Ta. Maya helped me, ‘cos I chipped in for her boyfriend’s cufflinks,” Imogen explains, as if Scorpius the pureblood knows what cufflinks are. James decides to choose that exact moment to descend down the stairs, and Scorpius bolts upright.

“Your time to shine,” he says, and Imogen grimaces before walking towards James.

“Potter,” she calls, and James does a visible double take. “You got a minute?”

“Imogen,” he composes himself rather well. Albus is almost proud of him. “I have revision to do.”

“It’ll just take a second,” she cajoles, parroting his earlier words. “Please?”

The composure leaves James instantly. “What is it?”

Imogen pretends to fiddle with her many rings. “I changed my mind about Cassian, you see.”

“I see,” James says. (Albus can tell that he doesn’t).

“Will you take me to the Yule Ball instead?” she finally, _finally_ asks, and James’s jaw drops. “You’re not so bad after all. And someone needs to teach me how to dance.”

“Uh. Um. Sure. Yeah. Alright then,” James clears his throat. “Yeah, okay. I’ll meet you at seven, then.”

“Yeah,” Imogen says. “Best go do that revision then.”

“Right,” James says. He suddenly flashes a megawatt smile, something oddly genuine. “Yes. Revision. See you, then.”

“See you,” Imogen returns.

James practically runs out of the Common Room.

“Merlin,” Scorpius says. “All that stressing just for...that?”

“Shut up,” Imogen says, her cheeks pink. “Can’t let him get all high and mighty, you know.”

 

She’s grinning.

  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> hey so i know this probably wont get a lot of views due to the Original Character thing but i’d appreciate it if you left a comment!! thank you <3


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